VINCENT BAL

Brabançonne

You don’t have to know anyything about Belgium to understand the concept of this feelgood movie, but it definitely helps. Let’s start for example with explaining the title, as the Brabançonne is the national hymn of Belgium, composed in 1830, the year in which the country was founded. You also have to know that in this tiny country three groups are living: those who speak Dutch, French and German. The German part is so small that we never hear from them, but day in day out there is quarrelling between the Dutch and the French part. Especially on the political scene those contradictions play a major part, and since some years comedians are using them to come up with jokes that are indeed sometimes funny, but full of clichés. There are some bad examples around (Rien A Déclarer with Benoit Poelvoorde, to name one), but it can also be done in an intelligent way like Jonas Govaerts did in his exciting horror trip Welp. Director Vincent Bal tries it too, but he chooses a total different concept, namely by turning his comedy into a sort of musical. Does it work? No.

Screen writer Pierre De Clercq, who is quite famous in Belgium, wanted a light and very recognisable story and therefore he chose the world of brass bands. You can blame it on me, or whatever, but I never understood why someone is attracted to the idea of marching in the streets with a trumpet and “enjoying” the citizens with some popular tunes. But then again, many Belgians do, just like in this movie in which we follow two brass bands (one from Flanders, the other from Wallony), that are trying to conquer the European trophy and are willing to go very far for getting that price. Of course the movie deals about love, and you won’t be surprised if we reveal you that the Flemish girl falls for the hunk of Wallony. And don’t forget those prejudices either! And yes, at the end of the movie they all seem to be false. The letdown however is not the use of clichés or the simple story, but the approach of it all. It’s kind of clear that Vincent Bal has watched Les Parapluies De Cherbourg and Les Demoiselles De Rochefort, but that doesn’t make him the new Jacques Demy yet. The director uses lots of phrases from Flemish and Wallon popular songs. Sometimes it works, sometimes it makes you blush. But then again if you can forget that musical thing (even if it’s hard to do) then Brabançonne can be added to the big heap of Flemish movies. They’re indeed meant to be entertainment, but that’s all you can say about them.